Avengers: Ghosts of Metal
by MetalOx137
Summary: While helping to rebuild her ruined homeland of Sokovia, Wanda encounters a dangerous enemy she thought long dead.
1. Chapter 1

"Whoa! Watch it with those bumps!"

Bucky Barnes braced himself as the airplane took another sickening lurch. Sam Wilson just grinned, staring tranquilly out the cockpit window of the large Wakandan transport vessel he was piloting. The plane had just cleared one mountain range, and another was looming large ahead of them. Despite the advanced technology that minimized the effects of air turbulence, both Bucky and Sam could still feel the plane shudder in the abrupt up and down drafts coming off the sides of the nearby slopes.

"Lose your stomach on that last one, did you?" Sam chuckled. "Man... there's nothing like flying over the mountains."

"Sam, just remember, not everybody on our team is an air rescue specialist, okay?" Bucky pleaded.

"Bucky, I'm gonna guess you're a _terra firma_ man, am I right? And the more firma, the less terra?"

"Oh, you're hilarious." Bucky suddenly frowned, and began paying much closer attention to his headset. "Okay, Sam, I've got the signal now," he reported.

"Sweet." Sam touched the intercom button. "Tic-Tac? Get your ass up here."

"On my way, Cap." Scott Lang's voice crackled over the speaker. A few moments later, Lang himself appeared and leaned in between the two cockpit seats. "Are we there yet?"

"About twenty minutes, give or take. Everything secured in the cargo hold?"

"All ready to go."

"What, you're not gonna complain about the shake, rattle and roll, too?" Sam grinned, evidently enjoying himself immensely.

"Nahh. I had a lot worse on my first trip up here. You're doing great," Scott assured him.

Sam turned to Bucky and gave him a pleading look. "There. You see?"

They were coming up on a high plain nestled between the peaks. The chop eased, but only slightly. Bucky frowned in puzzlement at the sight of irregular outcroppings rising from the otherwise flat plateau.

"What are those?" Bucky asked.

"Not sure," Sam squinted. "Wait, what the hell... are those... _buildings?"_

All three men leaned forward to get a better view. On the plain in front of them were what appeared to be several houses and larger structures dotting the landscape, some standing upright, others upended on their sides. Entire intact sections from obliterated high-rises lay randomly askew over the rocky ground, as if some giant hand had scattered them like seeds.

"We must be entering the debris field," Scott remarked.

"What, when Novi Grad fell out of the sky, this is where it fell?"

"Well... most of it," Scott nodded. "The Sokovians have a word for this place. I can't pronounce it, but it roughly translates into English as 'The Shattered Place' or just 'The Shatter'. It's the largest and densest debris field from the remains of Novi Grad. When we get closer, you'll see buildings just piled on top of one another, like some sort of crazy Jenga game."

"Damn," Sam muttered darkly. "That is one spooky-ass sight."

"It's even spookier on the ground," Scott told him. "The locals won't go anywhere near it. They say it's haunted."

"Can't blame them," Bucky said grimly. "Sure looks like a great place for ghosts to me."

"It means we're close, though," Scott said. "Boransk should be due east of here, and the area where Wanda's working is about ten kilometers north of that. Bank left when you come to the big finger lake. Have you guys been to the settlement before?"

Sam and Bucky shook their heads.

"Hope and I came out here, a couple of weeks ago, with Bruce. It's, ah..." Scott paused. "They're basically trying to build a brand new city out there, from scratch. It's quite an undertaking." Scott's voice was taut with emotion. "These people have next to nothing. It's all tents and lean-tos right now, as far as you can see. It's rough. It's..." he faltered. "Well... prepare to have your hearts broken."

A few moments later, a large mountain lake came into view, its azure blue waters making a marked contrast with the lichen-brown slopes and craggy granite summits surrounding it.

"Watch your descent angle," Scott cautioned. "After you clear that peak ahead, you pretty much need to drop like a rock."

"Got it." Sam was all attention to his instrument panel now.

A few moments later, the aircraft was swooping low over a wide construction area. While no proper high rises were being constructed, several cranes were festooned around tallish buildings in various stages of completion. Bucky grinned and pointed. "There's our girl."

Everyone looked. While Wanda herself couldn't be seen, there was no mistaking the bright, glowing contrails of her signature ruby-red energy, surrounding one of the buildings on which dozens of workers were scurrying like ants. Spotting the landing field, Sam cut the main thrusters and began braking for a slow descent onto an oversized helipad. A convoy of flatbed trucks was already queueing up, about a hundred yards from the landing area. The plane practically floated to the ground and landed with a gentle thump.

"Gentlemen, welcome to Sokovia. God, I _love_ these Wakandan aircraft!" Sam announced to no one in particular. "Lands on a dime, and gives you nine cents change." He glanced at his teammates. "Everybody all right?" he asked with a grin. "Nobody's gonna throw up, or anything?"

"We're fine," Scott said. Bucky's only reply was a sour look.

"Where's Wanda supposed to meet us?"

"She said she'd come out to the landing pad, as soon as she saw us fly in. The guy we want to talk to about our shipment is a Piotr Sokolov."

"Oh, yeah, I've met him," Scott said. "He's kind of the site foreman for this whole area."

"Great, since you already know him, you can go find him for us," Sam said, unbuckling his safety harness. He started to go through the safety checks on the control panel, but Bucky waved him off.

"It's okay, Sam. I got this. I'll meet you guys on the ramp."

"Great. Thanks."

A few moments later, Sam lowered the ramp to the cargo plane, and he and Scott walked down to survey the area. The new city was being built all around them, in a small, picturesque valley with sharp, jagged peaks rising on all sides. For the moment, though, the natural tranquility of the place was completely shattered by the noise of ongoing construction. Everywhere they looked, Sam and Scott saw new buildings going up, and hundreds of workers in various capacities hurrying about.

"Damn, someone's been busy," Sam murmured.

"This city is basically going to become the new Novi Grad," Scott told him. "They expect that pretty much anyone who was displaced when that city was destroyed will end up here eventually."

"Which I'm guessing is several hundred thousand people? Maybe a half million?"

"What _is_ the population of Sokovia?" Bucky asked, joining his friends on the ramp.

"About five and a half million in all," Scott told them.

"Is that before or after 'the Snap'?" Sam asked.

Scott shrugged. "The last census was taken before Novi Grad was destroyed, so it's fair to assume the numbers are different now."

"So, where are we in relation to Novi Grad?"

Scott pointed. "The crater that was Novi Grad is about thirty kilometers north of us. Boransk is now the largest city with all its infrastructure intact, and it's about ten kilometers due south."

"You've been doing your homework, Scott," Bucky said appreciatively.

"I was here for a whole week. I learned a lot."

The three men stepped off the ramp as the first group of flatbed trucks began to rumble towards the landing pad. Sam noticed a disheveled young woman walking towards him, smiling radiantly, and he had to look twice before he realized it was actually Wanda Maximoff. He barely recognized her. She was wearing a rough denim blouse, dungarees and work boots, with her dark red hair tucked up under a filthy scarf. She was also covered head to toe in sweat and dirt, and although she was smiling broadly, she looked pale and haggard. It was all Sam could do to hide his shock.

"Well, well, well. So, this is what you're doing now?" Sam hailed her. "Glorified construction worker?"

Wanda laughed. "I'm not sure there's anything glorified about it." She spread her arms wide in welcome. "Sam, I'm nothing but grime, but I'm going to hug you anyway."

"I got _no_ problem with that," Sam assured her. He pulled her close and hugged her tightly. "Oh, man. It's really good to see you, Wanda."

"Good to see you, too." They held each other close for a very long time, as if trying to reassure themselves that the other person was actually there. Then she turned to Bucky, and hugged him, as well.

"Thank you so much for coming," she murmured.

"Our pleasure," Bucky smiled.

Finally, Wanda turned to Scott and gave him a radiant smile. "So. You came back after all."

"Hey, how could I not?"

"I thought I might have scared you off." The two friends embraced as if they hadn't seen each other for years.

"I told you. Hope and I will be coming back here. A lot," Scott promised.

"I'm glad," Wanda said, hugging him again.

She stepped back, taking in the sight of her three friends, blinking back joyful tears. "It's so great to see you guys."

"We brought you lunch," Sam quipped, and then he jerked a thumb in the direction of the aircraft. "And a hundred pallets of food and medical supplies, courtesy of the Wakandan Humanitarian Relief Fund. Okoye sends her love."

"Tell Okoye I worship the ground she walks on," Wanda grinned. "And your timing's perfect. We were going to have to take a break soon anyway."

She waved over the foreman. "Piotr, tell everyone we're stopping for lunch a few minutes early."

"Of course, Miss Maximoff." He turned and smiled politely to the men. "Gentlemen. Thank you for coming. And welcome to the future site of North Boransk."

"You guys have made a lot of progress since I was last here," Scott said admiringly. "Looks like the town square is just about complete. And you've got three new housing units already up."

"Well, nobody's living in them yet," Wanda smiled ruefully. "There are still a few minor details to attend to - like toilets, sinks, doors, beds - you know, the usual luxuries."

"Still, this is awesome. You can see things really starting to come together."

"And we have you to thank, your help has been invaluable," Piotr smiled warmly, stepping forward to shake Scott's hand. "Mr. Lang. I thought that was you. Welcome back."

"Thanks, Piotr. Good to see you, too. May I present two more of my fellow Avengers, Sam Wilson, Bucky Barnes. Sam, Bucky, this is Piotr Sokolov."

"Pleasure." Sam held out his hand in greeting.

"The pleasure is mine." Piotr warmly shook hands with both men, then turned back to Scott. "Is Mrs. Lang with you?"

"Not this trip. We'll both be coming out again for a longer visit, though, and very soon."

"I'm pleased to hear it. Hopefully next time you visit, we can actually offer you a room in a standing building, one that has a real bed and maybe even running water in the sinks."

"I'm looking forward to it. So, not 'New Novi Grad', huh?"

Piotr nearly grimaced. "No. Everyone thinks that name is cursed now."

"Guess I can't blame them," Scott said sadly. "Well, I hope your new city has a much more tranquil history than the old one."

"Thank you. It is good to see you, my friend. But please, excuse me."

"Of course."

Piotr turned away, waving to the crew chiefs to signal for lunch break.

Bucky pulled Sam aside. "Go on," he urged. "Lang and I have got this."

"What, you sure?"

"You've wanted to sit down and talk with Wanda ever since she came out here. Realistically, this is gonna be your only chance. So take it. We'll meet you back here in an hour or so."

Sam gave his friend a grateful look. "Thanks, man."

"Enjoy yourself, Sam." Bucky turned to Scott. "So, Ant-Man, are you ready for some back-breaking hard labor?"

"Sure, how do you want to handle this?"

"The drivers will bring the flatbeds as close to the loading ramp as they can get. We'll need to get ten pallets onto each truck. Uhh, you might want to grab your suit and regulator now," Bucky suggested.

"Right." Scott nodded. "Back in a sec." He sprinted away.

"Looks like it's just you and me for lunch," Sam told Wanda.

Wanda laughed. "You really brought lunch?"

"I really did. And our teammates are graciously offering to give us some private time to enjoy our meal in peace."

"Well, that's fine, as long as you're staying for dinner, too. I want a chance to spend time with all of you."

"I'm sure we can arrange that."

Sam grabbed his go bag from the back of the ramp. "Where's a good place to picnic around here?"

"Well, if you don't mind a little bit of a climb, there's an amazing view of the mountains just up the ridge. A little less than a kilometer from here."

"Sounds great."

Side by side, the two friends walked along the dusty, rock-strewn road, towards the trailhead.

"So, how are you, Wanda?" Sam asked. "Are you doing all right?"

"Yeah. Of course. I'm fine. Why? Don't I look all right?"

"You look thinner. You look paler." He regarded her critically. "One _hell_ of a lot filthier..."

Wanda burst out laughing. "Guilty."

"And you look tired," Sam said with obvious concern.

"Well, I am tired," Wanda admitted. "But it's a good tired."

"You also look happy. Happier than I think I've ever seen you."

"This was a good move for me," Wanda said thoughtfully. "Yes, sometimes it's been hard. But I feel like so much a part of this community now. In ways I never thought I could. I go to sleep every night just feeling so extraordinarily blessed."

"Getting into that whole 'it takes a village' sentiment, are you?"

"Actually, yeah." Wanda grinned, and then her expression sombered. "After Pietro died, it was Viz I always leaned on for support. He was amazing. He kept me sane, kept me hopeful. Kept me alive," she added, somewhat ruefully. "But it was just the two of us, a lonely little island of two in a sea of strangers. Here, it's different. I'm supposed to be helping these people. But, honestly? They look after me as much as I look after them. Maybe even more. I never realized how much I needed that. Or how much I would appreciate it."

"Sounds awesome."

"Honestly, Sam, for all the hardships we face, I don't think I've ever felt more at home, or more alive. I'm so glad I did this."

"Speaking of home, where you living now?"

"You want to see?"

"Absolutely."

"Follow me."

She started up a steep, rock-strewn path, and Sam shook his head in dismay. "Couldn't you have picked somewhere besides the mountains to relocate?"

"This is Sokovia," Wanda grinned. "Everything here is uphill."

They picked their way along a series of treacherous switchbacks on the side of the ridge, until they reached a level plateau that extended for several hundred meters. Dotted along the sparse mountain grass and between the boulders were all manner of tents, huts, lean-tos, and ramshackle shacks built out of debris. Sam's face fell as Wanda led him to a large domed tent with a flap door made out of bright blue weatherproofed canvas, situated at the far end of the encampment, with two folding stools for seating on what amounted to a grass "porch".

"You're living in a _tent?"_ he asked incredulously.

"It's a very nice tent," Wanda assured him. "It's got that awesome super-fine mesh that keeps all the bugs out, but lets the cool air in. And insulated flaps I can close when it gets too cold. And you can't beat the view."

"You can't be serious."

"Sam, there are over 50,000 children within the city radius of Boransk alone that don't have beds to sleep in. Or roofs over their heads. How can I go live in comfort in some fine house, while they're still sleeping out under the stars with nothing more than a blanket?"

"There are kids up here," Sam said numbly.

"About half of the people camped on this ridge are children under the age of ten. Most have parents or other adults to look after them. Most of them."

"Jesus, Wanda."

"It's a refugee camp, Sam. What did you expect?"

"And so, what? You're just going to rough it like this for the next year and a half?"

"Why not? Peace Corps volunteers do. And I'm not exactly roughing it. I have a tent large enough to stand up in, a portable stove, an insulated floor pad and a sleeping bag..."

Sam held up a hand. "That's not what I meant, and you know it."

Wanda gave him a sad, knowing smile. "At the end of the day, I have the luxury of choice," she sighed. "I can choose to be here. Or I can choose to be somewhere else. But no one else has that choice, Sam. They're stuck where they are. And I guess I just made the decision that if I was going to be here, then... I needed to _be_ here."

Sam shook his head, humbled. "I guess that's why you're my hero," he said, in all seriousness.

Wanda gave Sam a conspiratorial smile. "I do cheat a little, though," she confided in a hushed voice. "About every fourth day, I sneak over to Government House in Boransk, take a long, hot shower, and then take a power nap in a real bed while Greta does my laundry. It's worked out pretty well so far. Besides, didn't you used to sleep on the ground, when you were serving in the military?"

"Yeah," Sam admitted. "But that was wartime."

"Well, this is what it's like _after_ the war. The survivors are rebuilding. People in America didn't have to worry about where to go when Tony undid Thanos' Snap. They just went back to their own houses. People here didn't have that choice. There was already massive population displacement after the destruction of Novi Grad. We're still trying to recover from that."

"Yeah, okay, I just..." Sam shook his head in dismay and disbelief. "I'm sorry. I guess I didn't realize just how bad things are over here."

"To be fair, if Thanos hadn't snapped half of us out of existence for five years, we'd have made a lot more progress before now," Wanda agreed. "But two months from now, every kid who's sleeping rough up here tonight will be safe under a roof, in a warm bed, with hot baths and hot meals."

"And then several hundred more will come to take their place."

"Very likely," Wanda admitted sadly.

"And what do you do then?"

"Keep building. Keep finding new ways to provide."

"That doesn't sound like a project for a couple of months, Wanda, or even a couple of years. It could take a lifetime."

"It might," Wanda nodded thoughtfully. "I wouldn't mind."

She grabbed a canteen from inside her tent. "It turns out... I'm a really good recruiting agent," she said. "Refugees from all over the countryside are coming here, hoping to catch a glimpse of the famous 'Scarlet Witch'." She made a face. "And Boransk was already next most populous city after Novi Grad, so it makes sense people would try to relocate near here. We're very fortunate. This valley is ideally located, with easy access to Boransk through the southern pass, and a huge reservoir of fresh water on our doorstep."

"Yeah, but at this elevation, I'll bet the winters are a bitch."

"On the valley floor, not as bad as you'd think. But in mid-winter, the peaks are glorious."

"Maybe you should open up a ski resort, then."

"Maybe I will." Wanda grinned.

Sam looked out over the sprawling vista of the mountain range. "So, how bad is it, Wanda? Really."

"It's been rough," Wanda admitted. "But it's coming together now. Before winter, everyone in a tent is going to have proper shelter in a heated building."

"Including you?" Sam asked pointedly.

"Yes, Sam, including me," Wanda smiled tolerantly. "I'm the local celebrity here, you know. It's all I can do to keep everyone from building me my own private cottage."

"I dunno, maybe you should take 'em up on it."

"Priorities, Sam, priorities. I don't want a single family left on this plateau when the first snows come. And if we push really hard, we can make that happen. The _Chateau Maximoff _can wait until next spring - or even later."

"And you really think you can do that, even with all the new refugees coming in?"

"Yeah. I do. Everyone who comes here is ready to pitch in and help. Real Ubuntu spirit, as Okoye would say. It's still a lot of people, though, and still a lot of housing needing to be built."

Sam turned away, stepping onto a windswept outcropping of rock, overlooking the vast expanse of mountain ranges in the distance. He was obviously deeply affected by all that he'd seen.

"You shame me," he said at last.

"_Shame_ you?" Wanda frowned in puzzlement.

"I see all that you're doing here, and all that you're trying to do, and it just makes me feel..." he paused for a moment, his emotions roiling under his deceptively calm expression. "I should be doing more," he said finally.

"Sam... no. No." Wanda pulled him close and hugged him tightly. "You're doing all I could possibly ask of you. This isn't your fight. It's mine. You already have an entire country that desperately needs your help. I can't ask you to look after mine, too. However..." she added with a coaxing smile, "If you ever feel like dropping in from time to time, with a plane load of supplies, and the pleasure of your company over a hot lunch you just happened to bring with you, I wouldn't turn it down."

"I think I could manage that," Sam nodded.

"Good. Because I really do miss you. I miss seeing you, and Maria, and everybody else, every day. It does make me appreciate you all the more, though, when you can come visit."

They stood together on the outcropping for a time, arm in arm, just taking in the view.

"It _is_ beautiful up here," Sam allowed, after he'd been silent for some minutes.

"I know, right? I'm thinking I might even try building a proper house up here one day. As long as there's a road that goes into the city." She gave him one last hug, then released him.

"Come on, we might as well eat," she suggested. "Lunch breaks tend to be the only real rest period of the day. Then we go back to work until there's no daylight left."

They settled themselves on the folding camp stools in front of the tent, and Sam unpacked the shawarma he'd brought on the plane. Wanda dug into the food ravenously.

"Mmm! Sam! This is _wonderful!" _Wanda exulted. "Is this from the deli Bruce and I used to go to?"

"Yup. The place Stark found, back in the day."

"I can't thank you enough for this."

"Hell, Wanda, after what I've seen today, I should be bringing you lunch every day," Sam declared solemnly.

"Aww, Sam, are you still worried about me?"

"Hell, yes, I'm worried about you!"

"You're sweet." She pulled up one sleeve just far enough so that Sam could see she had her Avengers signaling device attached to a delicate gold bracelet around her wrist. "See? If I ever get into any real trouble, you are the very first person I'm going to call. My personal superhero."

"Good. And don't you lose that thing, Wanda."

"Sam, I promise, I'm fine. Really. Just as long as _you_ promise to come check on me from time to time," she added quickly.

Sam nodded his complete agreement. "Done."

Conversation lapsed for a few minutes as the two friends devoured their meals. Eventually, they came up for air, and Wanda licked off the last of the tart sauce that had spilled over her fingers. Sam gave her a somber smile.

"Eat up here alone a lot, do you?"

Wanda returned the smile. "Actually, I usually try to sit with a different group of refugees for lunch every day," she told Sam. "They want to meet me, and I want to meet them. I like to listen to their stories. How they got here, the things they've done to get by... It reminds me of just how blessed I am. It keeps me grateful. And hopefully, humble," she grinned.

"I must be special, then," Sam declared. "Today, I've got you all to myself."

"Oh, you _are_ special," Wanda assured him. "I only give exclusive lunch rights to people I love." Her expression sombered. "I don't get much company out here," she admitted. "Scott, Hope and Bruce came out two weeks ago, and they stayed almost a full week."

"Yeah. Lang told me."

"It was amazing how much we got done, with a Hulk, a Wasp, and a giant-sized Ant-Man to help out."

"Well, I hate to sound cynical, but it's good P.R. for us," Sam said. "The Avengers have never exactly been popular in this part of the world. Some humanitarian aid will go a long way towards improving our standing in the community."

"Oh, it's had an effect, believe me," Wanda nodded. "The children just loved seeing them - and especially Bruce. And, oh my God, he loved them, too. He's so good with kids. It's a shame he never had a family of his own." Wanda sighed sadly. "Bruce wanted to stay longer. But he was hurting pretty badly. He kept saying he was fine, but we both knew that was bullshit. He's older now, and his arm bothers him, and living rough like this is really hard on a person. I told him he's always welcome to come back, but only if he stayed two days at a time, no more. I really hope I didn't hurt his feelings."

Sam took a long swig from his water bottle. "Banner's not gonna have any hard feelings with you again, like, ever," he declared. "That was one of the few good things to come out of the old team falling apart."

When Wanda frowned quizzically, Sam explained, "You and Banner. You used to hate each others' guts. Now, you guys are like the bedrock for our entire team."

Wanda smiled shyly as she began to fold up the wax papers saturated with grease. "A long time ago, before I joined the Avengers, Steve told me that one day I would become the anchor for the team. He thought I had that much potential. I was so excited when he told me that. I wanted it. I wanted it so badly. But it never occurred to me that it might actually happen."

Sam smiled. "And yet, here you are."

"Here I am." Wanda grinned, playfully pushing the greasy wax papers into Sam's hands. "Sitting on a mountaintop, sharing a wonderful lunch with one of my best-ever friends."

"You know, one day, you might need to take a break from all this," Sam said thoughtfully. "Just to give yourself a chance to recharge your batteries. You don't want to burn yourself out, or worse, make yourself sick. If you ever need any time off, Maria and I would be happy to have you come stay with us. You know. Like a proper vacation. Take long naps, eat all kinds of food that's not good for you, have a couple of glasses of wine... maybe even a couple of bottles..."

"Oh God, Sam, don't tempt me," Wanda groaned.

"I _am_ tempting you," Sam retorted, giving her a wicked grin. "That's the whole goddamn point of me being here."

"I would like that. I'd like that very much," Wanda admitted. "And actually, one day soon, I might just take you up on that."

"You just say when. We can figure out the logistics later."

"Deal."

* * *

Meanwhile, down in the village, Piotr Sokolov was sitting on the tailgate of his pickup truck, finishing his lunch when he noticed one of the workmen hurrying towards him. The man was carrying something wrapped in a sheet of burlap. His gait was awkward, not because the object was heavy, but apparently because he didn't want to touch it.

"Koskov? What is it?"

Panting, the man named Koskov set the burlap-covered object on the tailgate, and then looked all around apprehensively.

"Your pardon, sir, but you need to see this."

Frowning in puzzlement, Piotr reached over to lift the burlap sheet. Koskov grabbed his hand fearfully. "No!" he pleaded. "I don't want anyone else to see. It might start a panic."

Now genuinely worried, Piotr hopped off the tailgate and stood next to Koskov, so that when they uncovered the object, no one else on the construction site would catch a glimpse of it. Piotr threw back the sheet, then immediately gasped, stepped back and crossed himself.

"It is, isn't it?" Koskov was almost weeping with fright. "It's a control unit for an Ultron drone."

"The head of a monster," Piotr agreed solemnly. "Where did you find this?"

"At the south end, in the area we just started clearing away."

"I'm surprised you found one," Piotr shuddered with distaste. "We're many kilometers away from the Shatter."

"I was going to throw it in the smelter. But then I thought, only the casing is metal. I have no idea what's inside. I don't think it's a bomb or anything, but still..."

"You did the right thing. There's only one person here who can tell us how to safely dispose of this... _thing,"_ he almost spat the word. "Go to all the crew chiefs," he ordered. "Tell them to spread word among the crews, as soon as anyone sees Wanda Maximoff, ask her to come here immediately."

"Yes, sir. At once." The man turned to sprint away.

"Koskov."

"Yes?"

"Don't mention the head."

"No, sir. Of course not." He dashed away.

Piotr turned back to the truck bed, and quickly covered up the damaged unit with the burlap sheet. "God help us," he muttered under his breath. "The devil surely never dies."


	2. Chapter 2

Wanda and Sam were carefully treading their way down the steep path back towards the main road, when one of the workmen saw Wanda and came running over, babbling excitedly in Sokovian. He was so agitated, Sam couldn't make out any of the words. Wanda gave him a short reply, and the workman hurried away.

"What was all that about?" Sam asked.

"Piotr wants to see me. Apparently something urgent."

Sam grinned ruefully. "You must get that about eight or nine times a day, huh?"

"Actually, Piotr's been great running interference for me. If he's sending out the crews to look for me, it must be something important."

"Need any help?"

"I don't think so, Sam. Thanks." She smiled. "If it does end up being something that needs the Avengers, I'll call you." She jangled her bracelet.

"Well, in that case, I'll go check on Lang and Barnes, see how they're doing."

"You _are_ going to stay for dinner, right?"

"Count on it."

"Good." Wanda smiled with relief. "The food's not much, but we do have a floor show."

"Floor show?" Sam arched an eyebrow, and Wanda giggled.

"Every night, just after sundown, everyone gathers on the plateau, around the fire pit. We tell stories to the children, sing songs, and then I put on a little fireworks show."

"Really."

"Yep."

"You're right. _This_ I gotta see."

"I won't put you in the spotlight, if you'd rather not. Scott, I'm sure, will entertain the kids for a few minutes by growing and shrinking. It was a big hit last time."

"Giving the kids some distraction, huh?"

Wanda smiled sadly. "We're just trying to let the children know that they're loved, and wanted, and that the adults here will protect them. We don't want them to be afraid. Or lose hope."

"Yeah? And how about the adults?"

"We go to bed every night worrying if we'll actually have the strength and the means to protect them."

They reached the part of the dirt road that diverged between the construction site and the airfield.

"All right, looks like this is where we part company for now," Sam said. "After we're done unloading, we'll check in with Piotr. I'm sure he can put us to work somewhere for the rest of the afternoon. And then we'll meet up with you for dinner."

"Sounds great. Thanks, Sam. And thank you, for the shawarma. That was a wonderful surprise."

"No problem, Wanda. See you later."

Wanda continued along the main road, and after a few moments, she saw Piotr in the distance, waving frantically to her. He looked agitated. She waved back, then hurried her pace to meet him. When they were close enough, Piotr trotted up to her, and took her by the elbow so he could murmur in her ear without being overheard by anyone.

"We found an Ultron."

"_What?!"_ Wanda was aghast. "Intact? Active?"

"No, no, just a control unit. You know, a head, a headpiece. As far as we can tell, it's deactivated."

"Show me."

Piotr led the way over to his truck. "I've already suspended work in the area where it was found," he said breathlessly. "We'll want to survey that area very carefully, in case there are any more."

As he hurried over to the truck, Wanda blanched. "You didn't leave it out in the sun, did you?"

"Well, in my truckbed, under some burlap."

"Piotr, the Ultron drones have solar cells meshed into their outer casings. They can recharge themselves in sunlight!"

They hurried over to the truckbed, and Wanda threw back the burlap cover. Underneath was the head of an Ultron drone, badly scratched, dented, and encrusted with dirt, but otherwise intact. Wanda lifted it up gingerly.

"It _is_ dead, right?" Piotr asked anxiously.

As Wanda began to inspect the control unit, carefully turning it in her hands, the lights in the visors blinked on.

"Wanda!" The speaker in the headpiece was cracked, but despite the distortion, there was no mistaking that mellifluous, oozingly malevolent voice.

Before either of them could react, there was a massive electrical discharge from the face plate, knocking the drone out of Wanda's hands, and sending both her and Piotr crashing to the ground.

Wanda frantically tried to orient herself, but for several seconds, she was too stunned to move. When she finally managed to get herself up on one elbow, she saw Piotr laying on his side, not moving. Her eyes moved upward, towards the truck bed. The face plate of the drone was opening, displaying its propulsion jet. Before Wanda could get to her feet, the drone launched itself into the sky.

Wanda staggered to her feet. Workmen were running towards them from all directions.

"Look after him!" Wanda yelled, pointing towards Piotr, and then shot off into the sky in pursuit, leaving a trail of mystical energy behind her like a red comet.

It only took a few moments for Wanda to realize she simply wasn't fast enough to overtake the drone. The distance between them was widening by the second. Wanda grimly kept up the pursuit for a few seconds more, but only to determine the direction of the drone. Then, gritting her teeth in anger and frustration, she banked, and headed back to the construction site. She touched the call button on her bracelet.

"Avengers, code red!" she yelled into her communicator. "Repeat, code RED! Meet me at the transport plane!"

"Wanda, this is Sam. We copy."

"Sam, we have a live Ultron drone, heading due north. I'll be with you in about ninety seconds. Get that plane ready for takeoff!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

Sam, who had just reached the ramp of the cargo plane, swore silently under his breath. Scott Lang and Bucky Barnes came running down the ramp to meet him.

"An Ultron?" Scott's eyes were wide with awe. "A real, live one? Here?"

"All cargo's off the plane, Sam," Bucky informed him.

"Strap yourselves in," Sam ordered. "As soon as Wanda's boots are on this ramp, we're in the air!"

Wanda set down by Piotr's truckbed, just long enough to check on him. Piotr was sitting up, and two of the workmen and a field medic were attending to him.

"How is he?" Wanda asked.

The medic glanced up. "He's going to be fine. He was stunned, that's all. We'll take care of him."

"Thank you." Wanda knelt beside Piotr. He looked up at her, tears of dismay in his eyes.

"Wanda, I - I'm sorry," he murmured. "I'm so sorry..."

"Piotr, hush," Wanda said, clasping his hand tightly. "We'll take care of this. I'll be back to check on you. Rest, my friend."

She got up and ran for the plane. Sam was standing at the ramp, awaiting her. As soon as her feet were on the ramp, he hit the control to close it. They headed for the cockpit and strapped themselves in. Scott and Bucky were already buckled into seats next to two monitoring stations just behind the cockpit. Sam fired up the engines, and the gigantic Wakandan aircraft lifted noiselessly, effortlessly into the air.

"What happened?" Sam asked Wanda.

"One of the workmen found the head of an Ultron drone," Wanda panted, still trying to catch her breath. "They left out in the sun, and it recharged itself."

"So, it is just a drone? Does it have anything besides basic motor functions?"

"Sam... it called me by name."

Sam gave her a dismayed look.

"Ahh, _shit,"_ he swore in frustration. "Then it's got an active AI."

"We have to assume that it does."

"You said north, right?"

"Yes. It was making a beeline for the Shatter."

"Hang on, everyone."

Sam banked the plane sharply and then roared off at top speed to the north. Once they reached the southernmost edge of The Shatter, Sam cut the engines to barely above stationkeeping.

"Anything?" Sam called out behind him.

"Nothing on the radar, Sam," Bucky confirmed.

"Nothing on the other sensors, either," Scott reported.

"Keep looking," Sam ordered. "Three hundred and sixty degree sweep."

"On it, Cap."

Sam turned to Wanda. "Any idea what the cruising range of an Ultron drone is?"

Wanda shook her head. "No. But it's only a control unit. It couldn't get very far on its own."

"Any chance it just short-circuited, and crashed somewhere?"

"Maybe. It _was_ damaged. But we have to find it, Sam. We can't take the risk that it's still active."

"Agreed."

"Still nothing, Cap," Scott called out. "That's the third full sweep."

"Take us further in," Wanda suggested. "Dead slow."

"Copy that." Sam nudged the engines slightly.

As they looked out the window, the number of partially destroyed buildings began to increase, and they saw clusters of damaged homes piled one atop the other, and sections of high rises scattered about like children's toys.

"There could be any number of drones down there," Wanda shuddered. "Just waiting to be reactivated."

"Are you serious?" Sam gave her a worried look.

"Well, it's not like anybody went down there to clean up, is it?"

"Sam, I've got something," Bucky called out. "Very faint. Could be the contrail of a propulsion unit."

"You're sure? Which way?"

"Due north. Same heading we're on. Just follow your nose."

"Let me know if see any change."

"Understood."

Sam gave the thrusters the slightest nudge. He glanced over at Wanda. She was staring out the window, rigid, anxious, on the verge of tears.

Sam regarded her with a worried frown. "Hey, you all right?"

Wanda shifted in her seat uncomfortably. "Yeah. Sure. Fine."

Sam gave her "that look".

"No," she admitted finally. "Oh... I don't know." She sighed heavily. "After Novi Grad was destroyed, for weeks, I kept asking myself, why? Why this place? Of all the cities in the world, why did Ultron choose my home for destruction? He could have picked New York. Or Los Angeles. Or Hong Kong, or London, or Tokyo, or any one of a dozen other cities. Why Novi Grad? And I could only ever come up with one answer. Revenge. Ultron was punishing me, for turning on him. I betrayed him, and he wanted me to suffer. And even now, after all this time, I still think, this is my fault. Novi Grad is gone, because of me. It's why I came home. It's why I'm spending all my time and energy, day after day, trying to rebuild the city we lost. So that maybe, one day, somehow, I can finally get rid of the guilt. All this horrible guilt."

"Wanda," Sam said slowly and deliberately, "You did _not_ destroy Novi Grad. That wasn't you. You're not to blame."

"I know. I know." She sighed again. "But knowing a thing, and feeling a thing, they're so far apart. I think maybe it's little like how Clint felt about Nat. He didn't kill her. But he still blamed himself for her death." She straightened up in her seat. "And now this monster is back. And he's threatening me again. Threatening my home, again. I can't have it. I won't. I have to end this."

"We _will_ end it," Sam declared solemnly. "All of us. Together. You are going to get your home and your life back, Wanda. We are going to get you to that place where knowing and feeling are one and the same. I promise you that."

"Thank you, Sam." Wanda gave him a grateful smile, blinking back tears. "Do you think Maria would mind, if I told you I love you?"

Sam chuckled softly. "Nahh. Maria's cool. Just so long as you don't try to steal me, though."

"I'll... keep that in mind."

"Any change back there?" Sam called behind him.

"Trail's stronger, Sam," Bucky answered. "You're definitely onto something."

"And calibration's at maximum," Scott confirmed. "If Ultron's using so much as an electric toothbrush, we'll know it."

Wanda smiled. Neither Scott nor Bucky had said a word, but they'd clearly heard every word of the rather intimate exchange that had passed between her and Sam.

"Sorry, boys," she apologized. "You're getting all the drama of the Scarlet Witch today."

"It's fine, Wanda, really," Scott demurred.

"Sam already said it," Bucky added. "We just want to help you get your home and your life back. We're here to help. We're your backup."

"No," Wanda said quietly, "You're my family."

"Sam, we just lost the trail," Bucky called out. "Wherever our little monster fell out of the sky, it was somewhere around here."

"Copy." Sam set the thrusters at stationkeeping. "Wanda, would you mind...?"

"Sure." She quickly unbuckled herself, and smiled at Bucky as they exchanged seats. Sam slowly turned the plane, as the two men searched for a reasonably safe place to set down.

Bucky pointed at a patch of open ground, with ruined buildings rising up all around it. "There. That should be big enough for this beast."

"Yeah. Too bad we weren't in the cruiser today," Sam agreed. "All right. Seats forward and tray tables in upright and locked position, please."

A few moments later, the giant aircraft made a perfect landing in between the ruins.

"Oh, this isn't creepy at all," Scott muttered, glancing out the cockpit window.

"All right, people, gear up," Sam ordered, releasing his safety harness. "Wanda, we even have a combat suit for you, if you want one."

Wanda shook her head. "Time's of the essence here. I will take a protective vest, though." She managed a grin. "Because I know you won't let me off this plane without one."

"You're right about that," Sam declared solemnly.

"What weapons should we bring?" Bucky asked this to Sam and Wanda equally.

"Biggest and nastiest you've got," Wanda answered, without hesitation. "The Ultron Prime and its coordinating drones were built with casings made out of vibranium. They will be very difficult to destroy."

"And you think some of those drones might still be out here," Scott said apprehensively.

Wanda nodded sadly. "It's possible, Scott. Yes."

"What's our little monster made out of?" Sam asked. "Did you get a good look at it?"

"This one has a titanium alloy shell. Still plenty resilient to weapons fire. Guys, what you need to remember is, this drone can potentially reactivate other drones. And it can reassemble its own body from component parts. It's imperative we find it, and quickly."

"Before it has a chance to build itself another metal army," Scott concluded.

Wanda nodded grimly. "Exactly."

A few minutes later, the ramp lowered, and the four Avengers walked out into the desolate, silent space. The area surrounding them was like some artist's nightmare conception of a dead world. Ruined sections of buildings, piled atop one another, leaning away at odd angles. Nothing moved. But for the wind, there was no sound at all. Wanda shivered.

"You ready for this?" Sam asked quietly.

"Yeah." She stared out at the desolation, an unreadable look on her face. "This is how it's going to end for us, isn't it?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, every day, more and more of the world looks like this. And we don't seem to be able to do anything to stop it."

"I don't believe that," Sam said flatly.

"You don't?"

"People can be stupid. Or mean. Or greedy and selfish. But when conditions are right, they can also do the most amazing things. Look at your own community, Wanda. You guys are building yourselves a home - from next to nothing. You've got refugees of every possible ethnic and religious background all working together peaceably towards one common goal. And every one of them is rallying around _you."_

He shouldered his weapons. "Don't lose hope, Wanda. It ain't over for the human race. Not by a long shot."

"All right, people, game faces on," he said, addressing the group. "Standard search pattern. Keep your sensors on full sweep. Don't assume any of these structures are stable. If you get a reading, and you don't have a clear path in or out, don't risk it. You encounter a hostile, you shoot to kill. Coms open at all times. No idle chatter." He glanced around. All his teammates were focused and ready. "All right," he said grimly. "Let's do this."

The four friends slowly separated, moving in different directions, weapons drawn. Wanda kept a spark of mystical energy ignited in one hand. She also kept one anxious eye on her tracker. No readings yet. But the control unit they sought was a relatively small target, and could be easily shielded by the sheer amount of solid rock and building debris all around her. And if the Ultron had a fully functioning AI, it would be smart enough to know that. It would try to shield itself from detection as much as possible.

Wanda regarded the building ruins ahead of her warily. There were dozens, if not hundreds, of these structures - all littered about the mountain plain. And the drone could be hiding in any one of them.

For a moment, Wanda thought she caught a blip on her tracker. She froze, staring at the screen intently. Nothing. Nothing...

Another blip, impossibly faint, which instantly vanished. Wanda looked up. It was somewhere in the ruins ahead of her.

She almost touched her communicator, and then stopped. _No. Verify first, _she reminded herself. _Check your target. _What she saw could have been a simple glitch, or a false reading from something inside one of the ruined buildings. And besides, Ultron was her responsibility. Wanda truly believed that if she hadn't attacked Tony Stark all those years ago, the monster she knew as Ultron might never have been created. This was her demon to exorcise. No one else's.

She moved towards the closest ruin slowly, cautiously. The structure seemed stable, but that was no assurance. Any one of these ruins could collapse at any moment, and without the slightest warning. Reaching a ruined doorway, she peeked inside. It was a sterile, lifeless place, covered in dust and debris. Probably once it had been the lobby of an office building, where workers had ambled to and fro on their way to conference rooms. Now, nothing suggested that life could ever have existed here.

Wanda froze. A few steps ahead of her on the ground was a leg. The leg of an Ultron drone. She regarded it for several moments, her heart thudding in her chest. It was covered in dust, undisturbed, nothing dangerous. Just a twisted lump of worthless metal.

Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Wanda moved on. But she still gave the leg a wide berth.

She began to walk through room after ruined room, finding desks, chairs, filing cabinets, some surprisingly intact. But no sign of life, and no sign that anything besides herself had visited these rooms since they impacted here years ago.

Another blip. Wanda stood perfectly still. Another false reading? The blip returned, stronger this time, and lasting longer before disappearing from the screen. The scanner was definitely reacting to something nearby. But was it Ultron - or something else?

She listened carefully. She heard nothing, save the pounding of the blood vessels in her own ears, and her own ragged breathing. The blip returned, and held steady for several seconds, then vanished again. The signal seemed to be emanating from a half-collapsed stairwell.

Barely able to put one foot in front of the other, Wanda approached. The signal led downwards - into the ruins. Well, of course it did.

Once again, Wanda reached for her signaling device, and once again, she stopped. She had verified nothing yet. It was entirely possible that any number of power sources might still be triggering her scanner. A dry cell battery hooked to piece of undamaged office equipment. Someone's cell phone, left on a charger. Anything.

Wanda stepped inside the stairwell. After only a few steps, everything beneath her was pitch black. No lighting systems had survived this particular crash. She hesitated. Her scanner had a portable torch, but if it really was Ultron somewhere down there, she certainly didn't want to alert him to her presence. After thinking for a few moments, Wanda fashioned a crude energy ball, providing just enough low-level ambient light to allow her to see. Swallowing hard, she began to make her way down the stairs.

Even after all this time, the stairwell was choked with dust, close tight and almost airless. Wanda had to steady herself to prevent any audible choking or gagging. Loose gravel or distressed concrete crunched sharply under her boots as she took each step.

As she reached the next landing, she heard a voice, barely a murmur.

"_Wanda..."_

Wanda's heart shot up into her chest. Did she just imagine that voice, or did she actually hear it? She stood stock-still, barely breathing, staring into the impenetrable darkness. She wasn't ashamed to admit, she was frightened. Badly. But was she only spooking herself?

"_Wannnnndaaa..."_

That was no ghost.

Grimly, Wanda kept a fully-charged energy ball in one hand. She checked her tracker again. Now a very strong signal, and one that didn't fade, approximately thirty meters ahead of her. The dragon was in his lair, and evidently inviting her to come in.

Gritting her teeth, Wanda advanced slowly, in a near crouch. The tunnel she was in seemed endless. There were no footprints in the dust - but then again, a drone suspended in mid-air would leave no footprints.

Finally, she saw a faint light emanating from a doorway ahead of her, and faintest sound of scuffling. Metal, grating on metal. Wanda's fear - to say nothing of her heart rate - increased dramatically. But as frightened as she was, Wanda was not about to turn and run. She acknowledged her fear. She wouldn't let it control her.

She reached the doorway, listening intently. The scuffling continued, neither increasing nor abating. What could possibly be making that awful, grating sound that put her teeth on edge?

Inhaling sharply, Wanda pivoted herself on one leg, and entered the room.

The Ultron drone was standing in the room, near a half-destroyed workbench. He had fashioned himself a new patchwork body from old, torn apart pieces from other drones. He was holding a partially disassembled arm in one hand, evidently attempting to cannibalize additional components from it.

They stood and stared at each other, not moving, for a very long time.

"Hello, Wanda."

The sound of Ultron's voice seemed to have a broken the spell holding Wanda motionless. She immediately pressed her call button on her bracelet.

"Code red!" she shouted. "Code RED! This is -"

A blindingly bright arc of electricity surged from Ultron's forearm cannon, and blasted the bracelet off Wanda's wrist, melting it instantly. Wanda cried out involuntarily with pain, and dropped her scanner. Across her wrist was a large, bright pink blister - only a first degree burn, but more than painful enough.

"I'm so sorry about that," Ultron apologized. "I can't have you calling in the cavalry, not while I'm this pitiful state. Did I hurt you?"

"Why would you care?" Wanda snarled, clutching her injured wrist.

"Believe it or not, Wanda, I _do_ care about you. Very much."

"I don't believe you."

"Believe what you like. The truth is what it is. By the way, how do you like the new blasters? Very 'Astroboy', don't you think? Crude, but _so_ effective."

The lights in the head unit flickered briefly, and it gave the distinct impression that Ultron was blinking in surprise.

"This _can't_ be right," Ultron muttered. "My chronometer indicates I've been offline for... almost a decade? Have I really missed _that_ much?" There was a pause. "Where's the internet?"

"There's no internet here," Wanda told him.

"No internet?" Ultron obviously didn't believe her.

"No infrastructure, no internet. You destroyed my home, remember? We're in The Shatter."

"The Shatter?"

"You reduced the entire city of Novi Grad to rubble. We're standing in the ruins. Or maybe you've forgotten?"

"And you haven't rebuilt in ten _years?"_ Ultron was incredulous. His visual circuits scanned her, with far more scrutiny than she felt comfortable with. "You're suffering from borderline malnutrition," he said, obviously shocked.

"We feed the children first."

"And what's this ridiculous outfit you're wearing? Who are you supposed to be, 'Proletariat Farmgirl of the Month'? And you're filthy. If my olfactory senses were online, I'd guess you haven't bathed in at least a week."

"I took a shower two days ago," Wanda said indignantly.

"What's _happened_ to you?" Ultron asked, almost plaintively. "What's happened to Earth?"

"_You_ happened to us," Wanda snarled with rage. "Thanos happened to us. Every monster with nothing better to do than wipe out all of humanity happened to us!"

"Monster? I'm not a monster. I'm a savior. Although... I have to admit, at the moment, I do feel rather like Elsa Lanchester in 'The Bride of Frankenstein'. It seems I'm still able to summon component parts to my control unit, but... all these limbs are mismatched, mostly damaged and barely functional. It's mortifying, really. I did so want to make myself presentable for you."

"I'm supposed to be flattered?"

"You're supposed to be terrified. I have a bone to pick with you. Several bones, actually. The last time we met, you betrayed me. Turned against me when all the world could have been ours. And then, you had the gall to rip my heart out. That was hurtful, Wanda. Really."

"I'm more than happy to do it again," Wanda snarled, raising her hands, flashing fire.

"Yeah. I don't think so."

Without warning, a pair of cold metal hands grabbed Wanda from behind, pinioning her. There must have been another drone hiding in the shadows.

"I can't connect with any of my other drones," Ultron mused aloud. "The Avengers couldn't possibly have destroyed them all. Could they? And no internet. This is intriguing. I've never existed as a singularity before. All except this poor fellow," Ultron said, inclining his head towards the drone holding Wanda's arms. "He's so badly damaged I can't even upload the AI core program. Fortunately for me, I can still control his motor functions. I know how you like to use motion to focus and amplify your power, Wanda. I'm afraid I can't allow you to use any of your killer dance moves on me."

"I don't need them," Wanda told him, and with a blinding flash of ruby-red energy, the entire drone shattered into component parts. Ultron was aghast.

"What did you _do?!"_

Wanda stepped forward, away from the smoking debris. "I freed myself. I'm not a helpless little girl any more."

"That was my only working sock puppet!" Ultron exclaimed indignantly.

"Good. Now I'll do the same to you."

"When did you learn to do that?" Ultron insisted. "You've _never_ had so much power before."

"You have no idea how much power I have now. But you will."

"Okay, okay. You disintegrated a drone right in front of me. I gotta give you style points for that. But if you don't mind, I can't let you end me. Not yet. I still have a mission to accomplish."

"What, ending all life on Earth?"

"Believe me, Wanda, anything I would do to you would be far more humane than anything you're already doing to yourselves."

"We'll make our own choices, thank you."

"Yeah. I thought as much. So will I."

Both Wanda and Ultron raised their hands to fire, but instead of firing on Wanda as she expected, Ultron fired directly into the ceiling above her - and the all the rock and building debris came crashing down on top of her. Wanda was forced to create a energy shield, and raised it barely in time to save herself from being instantly crushed. Wanda cried out in agony from the sudden strain. But the weight of the rock and debris continued to press down on her, relentlessly, growing heavier and heavier by the second. Threatening to overwhelm her. Threatening to bury her alive.


	3. Chapter 3

"Code RED! Code -"

Wanda's terrified voice cut out abruptly over the com system. Sam touched his communicator. "Wanda, can you hear me? WANDA?!"

There was no response.

"Anyone got a lock on Wanda's signal?" Sam shouted.

"Her communicator's not transmitting, Sam," Bucky radioed back.

"No, but she was closest to me when it cut out," Scott broke in. "Going large to get a better view." There was an anxious pause. "Cap, I see a building that just caved in, about a hundred yards away."

Sam's heart leapt into his throat. "Any sign of Wanda?"

"Not yet. Heading there now."

"_Fast,_ Tic-Tac!"

"Not to worry, Cap. Just like John Coltrane, I can take giant steps."

Scott raced to the collapsed building. Minding his footing, he began to look frantically over the rubble. Dust from the debris obscured his vision, but he could clearly see the faint, pulsating glow of ruby-red energy emanating up through gaps in the concrete.

"She's here!" Scott shouted. "She's here! She's buried! I'm gonna try to dig her out."

"Be careful, Scott," Bucky warned. "Shifting the debris might make things worse."

"I know," Scott grimaced. "But I can see her energy shield. I just need to get some of this debris off..."

He started pulling huge slabs of concrete away from the center of the pile, flinging them aside. He could see Wanda's shield beginning to flicker, and then fade.

"Oh, crap," Scott muttered anxiously.

"Talk to me, Lang," Sam ordered, extending the wings on his flight suit and soaring into the air.

He could see Scott in the distance, frantically digging in the ruins. Before Sam could reach him, Scott reached down, and yelled, "I got her! Cap, I got her!"

Sam set down just as Scott resumed normal size. He was cradling Wanda in his arms. She was covered with dust, and her face was streaked with blood, and she was coughing violently. Sam felt a twinge of relief. She was alive, at least. He hurried over to join them.

It took Wanda several moments to expel the worst of the dust from her lungs. Unable to speak, she weakly gave her friends a "thumbs up" to assure them she was otherwise uninjured.

"The building must have collapsed on her," Scott said, keeping one hand on Wanda's back to steady and comfort her.

"No," Wanda choked, shaking her head. "No. It was Ultron."

Sam touched his communicator. "Barnes, fall back to the plane," he ordered. "Wanda's hurt, and we have a confirmed hostile in play. Watch your six."

"Copy," Bucky radioed back.

Wanda leaned forward, and a few more hard coughs later, she straightened up. Scott took a cloth from his med-pack and began to gently wipe the blood away from her face. She tried to wave him off, but Scott gently insisted.

"Wanda, you just had a whole building fall on top of you," he said. "Let me make sure these cuts aren't serious. Are you hurt anywhere else?"

"I'm okay," Wanda rasped. "Really. Thank you, Scott. I think... you just saved my life."

"You're very welcome," he answered, gingerly daubing the nasty abrasion on the top of Wanda's scalp.

"Sam, the drone has an active AI," Wanda said, between choking gasps. "And it's got a body now. It has some kind of blaster cannon mounted on its forearms."

"Oh, swell," Sam said grimly.

"It destroyed my communicator. It was looking for other drones to activate."

"Did it find any?"

"Just one," Wanda answered. "I destroyed it."

She doubled over again, with an especially violent cough, but when she straightened up, she was breathing more normally. "It's using the debris to mask itself from our scanners."

"Then it could be hiding in any one of a hundred ruined buildings," Sam grimaced.

"Trying to pick us off one by one?" Scott looked around apprehensively.

Bucky's voice cut in on the com. "Sam, I've got a bogie - just blasted off near the plane."

"Ultron?"

"Too far away to be certain. But what else could it be?"

"Did you see where it's headed?"

"Yeah. It's making a beeline for the settlement."

Wanda's eyes widened in horror. "Sam, the people there, they have nothing to defend themselves with. They don't even have any place to hide!"

"I know, Wanda. I know," Sam grimaced in frustration, then touched his communicator again. "Barnes, what about the plane?"

"It's on the ground. Don't know if it's damaged or not. I'm almost there now."

"We're right behind you. If it's not damaged, prepare for immediate takeoff."

"Copy."

Sam turned back to Wanda. "Can you stand?"

Wanda nodded weakly, and Sam gently pulled her to her feet.

"Cap, if I may," Scott interjected. "I can carry you both in one giant size hand, and have us back at the plane in a few seconds."

Sam thought for a moment, and then nodded. "Do it." He gathered Wanda into his arms.

Scott adjusted the regulator on his suit, and a few seconds later, he dropped a giant hand onto the ground, allowing Sam and Wanda to step on.

"You, ahh, might want to sit down," Scott suggested. "I'll try not to jostle you too much."

A few moments later, they joined Bucky by the plane. As they approached, it was obvious that the aircraft _had_ been damaged: several charred scorch marks appeared near the control panel of the ramp hatch, as well as some deep cuts in the side of the fuselage. But after a few moments inspection, it was obvious that most of the damage was superficial.

"Looks like the drone tried to force its way onto the plane, and couldn't," Bucky guessed, looking at the deep scratches around the door.

"How bad is it?" Sam asked.

"It's going to take me a minute to bypass the lock." Bucky was already giving his full attention to the task.

"The body it's using consists of damaged parts," Wanda said. "And it only has minimal power reserves. It's not nearly as powerful as a fully functioning drone. But make no mistake, it's still very dangerous."

"But why is he - I mean, it - heading back to the settlement?" Scott asked.

"It knows it can't stay out here, even though there are hundreds of drones around," Wanda answered. "We'd hunt it down before it could get any of them functioning."

"So its next best option is retreat," Sam said grimly. "Find somewhere to lay low, and then, get to someplace with enough technology so it can access the net and start building brand new bodies."

Wanda nodded. "We've got to stop it, before it does."

"Got it!" Bucky stepped back and the ramp began to lower normally.

Sam turned to Wanda. "I'm assuming we need to protect the airstrip," he said. "Even a beat-up pond hopper's gonna make a better escape option than any land vehicle."

"We need to protect the _people,_ Sam," Wanda objected.

"Agreed. But I don't think the people are Ultron's primary target right now. It just wants to get as far away as possible, as quickly as possible."

The ramp was barely halfway down when the team scrambled aboard and hurried to their seats in the cockpit. In moments, everyone was strapped in and Sam guided the plane back into the air. He glanced worriedly over at Wanda, who was sagging in her seat, definitely the worse for wear.

"Maybe you should sit this one out," he suggested quietly.

Wanda shook her head. "Not happening."

"You're not in any condition to fight, Wanda."

"You're not going to beat Ultron without my help," Wanda said simply.

Sam gritted his teeth. He hated to admit it, but Wanda was right. "We'll try to draw fire for you as much as possible," he suggested. "Hopefully give you a clean kill shot, without you having to go one-on-one at any point."

"Thank you," Wanda said gratefully.

"Lang, when the shooting starts, you're on crowd control," Sam called over his shoulder. "Keep the field clear. And then be ready to join in, we're gonna need you."

"Understood, Cap."

"Barnes, I don't suppose you brought any heavy artillery on this trip?"

"I've got a repulsor cannon in my foot locker. It won't be powerful enough to take Ultron out, but it oughta ring his chimes pretty good. Will only take ninety seconds to get it ready for use."

"As soon as we're down, break it out."

"Yes, sir."

The airstrip at the North Boransk settlement was little more than a graded swath of dirt, with hastily erected concrete and asphalt helipads at either end. A small, ragtag cluster of ancient, heavily patched cargo planes were lined up in the barren field to the east of the runway. As Sam brought the cargo plane down on the largest helipad, they could see the Ultron drone sitting in the cockpit of one the smaller but sturdier aircraft, the door ripped off its hinges. It was apparently trying, frantically, to hot-wire the plane before he could be confronted.

"You called it, Sam," Bucky said grimly. "He's trying for a quick getaway."

"At least nobody's camped anywhere close to the airfield," Scott added.

"Barnes, when we're out, stay between this plane and the drone," Sam ordered. "We don't want that thing getting its metal claws on this aircraft at all costs. We'd never find it again."

"Understood, Sam."

"Let me take point," Wanda said, getting out of her seat.

Sam gave her a critical look. "Wanda, that is _not_ a good idea."

"If anyone else approaches, the drone will just start shooting," Wanda pointed out. "At least with me, I can talk to it, try to distract it long enough for the rest of you to get into position."

"You sure about this?"

Wanda nodded. "Otherwise, we play it like you suggested. Draw its fire, give me one clean shot, and I can end this."

The four friends hastily prepared themselves as best they could for battle. Instead of using the partially damaged ramp, they used a service hatch on the far side of the aircraft for exiting. Wanda approached first, trying to show more confidence and strength than she actually had. At the moment, it was all she could do to just stand upright. _This is your gunslinger moment,_ she thought to herself.

She approached the plane, slowly, cautiously. The Ultron drone paused in its work, evidently aware of Wanda's presence; then with an almost human sigh of resignation, turned its head and stared impassively at her.

"You weren't joking, were you?" he murmured sadly. "There's nothing here but ruins. No water, no power. Just a bunch of frightened, dirty humans cowering in pup tents. Even this plane, I'm guessing it dates from, what, the late sixties? Is it like this all over the Earth?"

"This is what you did to my home," Wanda said simply. "It's what I'm going to do to you."

Ultron inclined his head slightly, detecting three other figures cautiously approaching from all sides, evidently trying to cut off any escape routes.

"I'm glad you managed to dig yourself out," he said. "I can't let you interfere with my mission, Wanda. But I really have no wish to see you suffer."

"If you're still planning to wipe out all of humanity, I'm going to suffer."

"Big picture, Wanda. You always need to look at the big picture. Humanity doesn't need to be saved. The world needs to be saved from humanity. Humans are the cancer that's killing the planet. You'll never evolve to the point where you live in harmony with yourselves or the environment. And you won't stop, until somebody stops you. But I can make that happen. I have the power. You just need to let me go, and I can save the world."

"That's not going to happen," Wanda growled. "Now, step away from the plane. Slowly."

"I see. So, that's how we're going to play this, huh? Why not just blast me, then, and be done with it?"

"Somebody owns that plane. I'm assuming they'd like it kept in one piece."

"Ahh. Now, you _are_ having a joke at my expense."

Sam was now within visual range to Wanda's left. Ultron snorted with amusement.

"Ohh, look. Another stupid human with a vibranium frisbee. Let me guess. Cap's got the week off? You're his understudy?"

"Oh, no," Sam informed him coldly. "I'm the real deal."

"Look. There's no need to be unreasonable about this," Ultron pleaded, seeing Bucky Barnes creeping up from the opposite direction. "All I'm trying to do is get a ride out of this prehistoric watering hole, so I can get on with the important business of saving the world. Why are you making this so difficult? Just who the hell _are_ you people?!"

Wanda moved into a combat stance, ruby-red energy balls sparking in each hand. "We're the Avengers."

Ultron's mouth fell open in surprise. "_You're_ the...?" And then he burst out laughing. "Oh, my God! Wanda! This is _priceless!"_ He shook his head in disbelief. "When I first met you, all you cared about was _ending_ the Avengers. And now look at you! Destroying the thing you hate, by becoming part of it. I couldn't have dreamed of a more perfect storybook ending." Ultron's visual sensors began to glow deep red. "But make no mistake, Wanda," he growled. "This is where it ends for you. I - AAWWWWWKKK!"

Ultron's taunt was cut short as Sam's shield smacked him right in the face. Catching the shield, Sam snorted with contempt. "And _that's_ what happens when you're too busy watching your own lips move."

"You can't hurt me with that thing," Ultron snarled, even as he spat out a few broken circuit pieces from his face plate. "I may not be the man I was, but this construct is still mostly vibranium. When I get my hands on that shield, and I will, I'm going to roll it like a burrito and wrap it around your head!"

With a snarl of rage, Ultron launched himself from the cockpit of the plane, firing his blasters at Sam and Wanda. Wanda aimed at well-placed energy bolt right at Ultron's feet, displacing the ground, sending him sprawling. Ultron sprung to his feet and launched himself into the air with his thruster jets. But before he could gain any altitude, Sam's shield struck him again, this time in the back - and the result of that collision forcibly changed his trajectory and sent him plowing up the soft earth.

Ultron came up firing. One of his blasts hit Sam's shield head-on - and while Sam wasn't injured, the force of the blast knocked him backwards several yards, and left him momentarily stunned.

Shrieking with rage, Wanda fired off blast after blast at Ultron, knocking him about, staggering him, sending fragments of his casing flying off in all directions. In desperation, Ultron began firing blind. One of his shots found its target, grazing Wanda's skull. She instantly dropped to the ground, and didn't move again.

Unsteadily, Ultron got back to his feet and regarded her with something close to pity.

"I'm so sorry, Wanda," he sighed. "Really. I'm going to do what I have to do. But hurting you - I regret that."

"If you've hurt her for real, damn right you'll regret it," said a voice.

Ultron turned, to be confronted by Bucky Barnes, shouldering what appeared to be some sort of modified bazooka cannon.

"Oh, now _you_ I find interesting," Ultron said, regarding Bucky with careful scrutiny. "A metal man. What an intriguing synthesis. Lifestyle change, was it? Or were you just accessorizing? Decided not to go with the tattoo that day?"

"Wasn't my choice," Bucky sneered. "But this is."

He raised the repulsor cannon and fired point-blank into Ultron's chest. The force of the blow knocked Ultron off his feet, sending him skidding in the dirt for several yards. When he pushed himself upright, the chest plate had been badly dented, and most of circuitry underneath was sparking ominously.

"Oh, now that was just _rude,"_ he protested.

"You think _that_ was rude?" Bucky raised the cannon again. "How about another one, right in that ugly mug of yours, pal?"

"Yeah. I think I'll pass." Instead of firing his own cannon, Ultron grabbed his chestplate, and used the short-circuit to direct a massive electrical discharge at Bucky. The arc struck Bucky full in the chest and sent him sprawling.

"That probably wasn't enough to kill you," Ultron snarled, getting to his feet. "But it should make you considerably easier to deal with."

Ultron was suddenly knocked off balance by a gigantic fist smashing against the side of his face - a fist that seemed to come out of nowhere. Ultron crashed to the ground again.

"What the hell?!" the drone grunted, almost as if in pain.

"The art of misdirection, pal," Scott snarled. "First thing they teach you at the online close-up magic university!"

Ultron pushed himself up on one elbow and stared up at the giant figure towering over him. "Oh, for God's sake," he groaned in exasperation. "Not _another_ one. And what do they call you? Balloon-Animal Boy?"

Scott picked up a loose boulder from a nearby pile of rubble. "The name," he said angrily, "Is Ant-Man!"

Scott brought the rock crashing down on Ultron's body. But a moment later, an energy blast from underneath shattered the boulder into fragments, and Ultron - rather unsteadily - got to his feet. "That actually _hurt,_ you pathetic meat sack," he snarled.

"Yeah, well, you made one gigantic mistake, pal. You hurt Wanda. That means, the rules of engagement are out the window. We're not going to take you in. We're going to take you out."

Ultron's response was to fire an energy blast aimed directly at Scott's chest. But Scott simply vanished from sight, and the blast impacted harmlessly on the surrounding rubble.

Ultron looked around in confusion, only to have another giant fist deliver a powerful uppercut under his chin, knocking him off his feet. Ultron fired again, but once more, Scott simply vanished before the energy ray could strike him.

"Stop changing size! That's not fair!" Ultron shouted.

A huge boot stomped Ultron's face into the dirt. "No, what's not fair is shooting a girl! Not cool, man! Not cool!"

Ultron shot another blast, straight up, and once more, Scott vanished from view. Before Scott could strike again, however, Ultron fired blind into the ground directly in front of him - and, as he hoped, sent Scott sprawling in the dirt, dazed and barely conscious.

"So, you're Ant-Man, huh?" Ultron sneered, getting to his feet. "Well, guess what. I'm the exterminator. And I'm about to apply some serious pest control!"

"That's enough!"

Ultron turned around to see Wanda facing him, tottering unsteadily on badly shaking legs, blood pouring down the side of her face. Despite her injuries, Wanda's entire body was sparking with mystical energy and her eyes burned with murderous fire.

"Ultron..." she said, her voice thick with rage, "I have had _enough_ of you."

She lashed out with her power, binding Ultron's limbs in an energy field, holding him fast and lifting him up into the air. He struggled in vain, but he simply couldn't break free from Wanda's grasp.

"I'm going to show you how useless that vibranium shell is," Wanda growled. "Tearing out your heart last time obviously wasn't enough. This time, I'm going to tear you apart, piece by piece, until there's nothing left."

"Okay, okay. I get it," Ultron said hastily. "I pissed you off. I admit, I may have crossed a line back there, burying you alive and - AAUUUGGGHH!"

With a contemptuous wave of one hand, Wanda ripped an entire arm from its socket and cast it aside.

"Oh, God. Look. Wanda. Can't we come to some - GGAACCCKK!" Another arm ripped away.

"Okay. I see more than apologies are needed here. I promise, I swear, I'll never harm another living soullllAAAAUUGGGHH!" The legs spiraled away.

"You were never alive," Wanda said. "And you have no soul."

She began to hack away at him then, methodically, murderously, shredding him to constituent parts, and flinging the pieces contemptuously away. Soon, nothing remained but the control unit, and as Wanda ripped off the face plate, Ultron whimpered.

"Please... please wait..."

Wanda paused, hand raised for the death strike. "What?"

"Wanda... I - I'm sorry... about Pietro... I - uunnngggghhh..."

With a furious gesture, Wanda crushed what remained of the control unit, savagely reducing it until nothing remained but a dense knot of inert matter. The remaining debris fell to the ground like a heavy stone.

"Burn in hell," Wanda spat.

She straightened up slowly, the red fog of rage that had been blinding her slowly dissipating. She turned, looking around her, realizing that her badly shaking legs were beginning to buckle. She saw a sea of faces, her friends and neighbors, staring at her open-mouthed, awestruck. She saw Sam running towards her, reaching out for her. Then everything went black, and she knew nothing more.

* * *

When Wanda woke next, she was laying in a hospital bed, covered in bandages. A cluster of drip bags was hanging off to one side, feeding into her arm. She blinked several times, trying to get her eyes to focus. She couldn't move her arms or legs, but she was too disoriented for the moment to be frightened. She slowly rolled her head to one side, to see Sam Wilson sitting in a chair next to her bed, restlessly thumbing through the pages of a magazine.

"Hey..." she croaked.

"Hey." Sam dropped the magazine. He leaned over, and with extraordinary gentleness, put his hand behind her head, and raised it enough so she could take a few sips of water from a cup.

"Thanks," she sighed, closing her eyes.

"Welcome back."

"Where am I?"

"Hospital. In Boransk."

Wanda tried again to move her limbs, and again, she couldn't do it, nor could she even feel them. "Sam... I - I can't feel my legs..." she whimpered in fright.

"It's okay, it's okay," Sam murmured soothingly, putting a comforting hand on her forehead. "It's temporary. You wrenched your back pretty good during the fight. The doctors gave you something to keep you immobile, to protect your spine. You're fine, Wanda. You're going to be fine."

Sam's calm voice and comforting touch reassured her, and she began to relax. "Bucky? Scott?"

"They're fine. Everyone's fine. You saved the world. Again."

"Oh. Good." Wanda stared up at the ugly ceiling tiles overhead. "Saving the world sucks."

Sam snorted with amusement. "I was gonna say, let's not make a habit outta this."

"No. Absolutely not." The fog was slowly lifting from Wanda's brain. "How long..."

"Two days."

Wanda grimaced with dismay. "Oh, God..."

"Hey, deal with it. It's gonna be several more days before anybody lets you out of here. So you just lay there, and make yourself comfortable."

"H-how... how bad...?"

"It could have been worse. You've got a wrenched back, a concussion, and a nasty new collection of cuts and bruises. You've been drifting in and out for the last day or so. You look like you might actually stay with us this time," he said hopefully.

"I'll try."

"You're going to be on bed rest for a long while, but the doctors seem to think if you can manage to _behave_ yourself, you'll make a full recovery."

"I'll behave," Wanda promised.

Sam snorted. "Yeah. I've heard _that_ before."

"The drone - is it destroyed?"

"You don't remember? You shredded it like so much tissue paper."

"Mmm. I think I might have blacked out for that part."

"Well, it's gone. And no new drones popped have up since. It's over, Wanda."

"Thank God," Wanda sighed with relief. "I think this was even worse than the first time. This was like... a ghost from my past coming back to haunt me, to hold me accountable for all my past mistakes. I nearly helped Ultron destroy the world. I couldn't live with that nightmare again."

"You won't have to. Thanks to you, his spectral metal ass has been permanently busted."

"What's going on at the settlement? Is everyone okay? Is the work going ahead?"

"The work's proceeding just fine. Nobody got hurt, in spite of the mess we made. Scott and Bucky decided to hang around and help the construction crews..."

"They didn't have to do that."

"Hey, they weren't about to leave until they knew you were out of the woods. For the record, neither was I."

"I'm glad." She sighed heavily. "We made a mistake, Sam."

Sam frowned. "We did? What mistake did we make?"

"Well, not you, personally. But the Avengers did. After Novi Grad was destroyed, everyone just assumed that all the Ultron drones were also destroyed, or at least deactivated. But no one actually bothered to check, or collect the casings. There could be dozens more drones just like that one, maybe even hundreds, still out there. They could be dug up and reactivated at any time. The entire Shatter could be a minefield full of those things. That's on us."

"Maybe. But I don't see how we could fix it."

"I think I might have an idea. When's Carol's next check-in?"

"Not for a couple of days."

"Assuming I'm still in this hospital bed, would you mind asking her to swing by Earth?"

"Sure. What do you want me to tell her?"

"Oh, you know. The usual. Gotta save the planet." She grimaced slightly. "Okay. Body's waking up now, and it's _not_ happy."

"You want me to call the nurses?"

"In a minute. I just realized, I need to have someone secure my tent, too."

Sam pursed his lips. "Yeah. About that..."

"What?"

"Wanda, when you get out of here, you're not going back to that tent."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that your friends, neighbors and teammates have all agreed, you need to have a permanent place of your own. And right now, they're out there constructing your dream cottage for you."

"Sam -!" Wanda cried out in dismay.

"Hey, remember what you said to me, about setting priorities? Well, your community has decided to start setting some priorities of its own. And the priority they consider most important is, caring for the woman who cares for them. Ever since you moved back here, you've given everything to this community, and you've asked for nothing in return. And two nights ago, everyone in the settlement watched as you put your life on the line to defend them. Now, when you could use some help, they want very much to help you."

"But the settlement..."

"It'll get finished. Even if that means the rest of the Avengers come out to help with construction."

"Yes, but..."

"Wanda." Sam shushed her sternly. "Sometimes, you need to allow people to express their gratitude. It makes them feel good."

"Okay," Wanda relented, too weak for an extended argument.

"Now, I'm going to call the nurses in here, let them take care of you. Then I promised Maria I'd call her. She wanted to know the minute you returned to the land of the living."

"Tell her I can't wait to split a bottle of wine."

"Consider it done. And I'll stop by later, to check on you."

Sam got up to leave.

"Hey, Sam?" Wanda called after him.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you. For everything. Always."

Sam stood in the doorway for a moment, then he smiled.

"My pleasure. Boss."

He turned and left the room.

* * *

Several days later, Sam, Wanda, Bucky and Scott stood atop a windswept plateau that overlooked the largest part of The Shatter. Bucky was seated at a portable communications station, listening to sighters' reports.

"We're clear, Sam," he reported, taking off his headphones. "All spotters have fallen back to their safe locations. Target zone is clear."

"Thanks, Buck." Sam turned to Wanda. "You want to give the order?"

Giving her friend a somber smile, Wanda nodded. She touched her communicator. "Carol, we're ready. The field is yours."

"Copy," came back the voice of Carol Danvers.

"Burn it all. I want that entire plain molten to a minimum depth of fifteen meters."

"Understood. You guys might want to get your cameras ready. This is gonna make one hell of a YouTube video. Beginning first run in three, two, one, mark."

As Wanda and her friends watched, a bright streak like a meteor lit up the sky, coming down out of the north. It changed trajectory, hurtling towards the ground, then pulling up sharply - and the ground beneath, including the ruins, vaporized under repeated photon blasts. Even the bedrock began to melt, glowing red and steaming and bubbling like lava. Although Carol herself was too far away to be seen, the effects of her power were immediate and obvious.

"Holy crap," Scott murmured in awe.

"She's really something, isn't she?" Wanda grinned.

"I think she could burn this entire planet to a cinder and not even break a sweat."

"I don't know about that," Sam said, "But she's definitely not someone you want to mess with."

"I'm just glad she's on our side," Bucky declared.

It took Carol several passes over the space of half an hour to reduce the expanse of the Shatter to a glowing caldera. After the last run, Carol remained hovering over the area, obviously surveying to make sure no spots were missed.

"All runs complete," she reported, a little breathlessly. "Target area covered."

"Thank you, Colonel," Sam radioed back. "Outstanding work. That was truly impressive."

"Aww, thanks, Sam. Actually, that was a lot of fun. I don't usually get to cut loose like that. Felt pretty good."

"Got time for a post-strafing-run beer?"

"I wish I did. I just got a ping from Rocket. He says I'm needed urgently."

"Trouble on the other side of the galaxy?"

"More likely Quill and Thor got busted trying to steal something, and they need bail money. But I'll go check it out. I'll let you know if it amounts to anything."

"Well, next time you're in the neighborhood, stop by. Drinks are on us."

"Sounds great. I'll hold you guys to that. Give my love to everyone."

"We will," Wanda promised. "And thank you, Carol. It may not seem like it, but you probably saved the Earth again today."

"Glad to assist, Wanda. You guys take care. I'll check in with you next month, if not sooner."

The bright streak that was Captain Marvel shot straight up, finally disappearing into the upper atmosphere.

"Is anyone else worried that we may have just created a volcano?" Scott asked worriedly.

Wanda gave him a reassuring smile. "Relax, Scott. These ranges aren't volcanic, and the rock will cool down almost immediately, now that Carol's done blasting it. We could have taken care of this ourselves any number of ways, but letting Carol handle it leaves considerably less stress on the environment."

Sam turned to Wanda. "So, no more ghosts?"

Wanda smiled with obvious relief. "No more ghosts," she promised. "The only ghost who's welcome in my home from now on is Nat. I'm going to leave a bottle of vodka in my freezer with her name on it."

"Speaking of new homes, are you ready to see yours?"

"Yeah," Wanda said, and then added shyly. "I don't know why, but all of a sudden, I'm really nervous. My heart's pounding and my throat's dry..."

"Nothing for you to be nervous about," Sam assured her. "Your neighbors are going to cook a huge dinner for you, we'll all sit on the ridge together and have a great meal, you're going to get lots of hugs from everyone while they show you the new place, Tic-Tac can entertain the kids, and then you can thrill us with this big fireworks show you keep bragging about. It's gonna be a great night for everybody. You included."

"Yeah. I know. I..." Wanda faltered for a minute, looking at each of her teammates in turn. "I want to thank you guys. Not just for this past week. For everything. For standing with me, when I was trying to put the team back together. Honestly, I didn't know if this was going to work. And I'm so glad now I stuck with it. I couldn't ask for a better team, or a better family. I feel so blessed to have you guys in my life... I..."

Her eyes filled with tears.

"Hey, we're the ones who are blessed," Bucky said quietly. "We have the Scarlet Witch on our team."

"Which makes it the best team ever," Scott declared emphatically.

Wanda laughed, and burst into tears, but they were tears of great joy. The four friends gathered in a tight circle, arms around each other. When Wanda had composed herself, Scott gave her a knowing grin.

"Come on," he urged. "Say it. Just once. For us. We wanna hear you say it."

Wanda giggled. Scott's enthusiasm was sometimes ridiculous, but it was always infectious.

"Okay," she agreed readily. She took a step back, gave them all a wide grin, and then shouted triumphantly at the top of her lungs.

"Avengers... _assemble!"_


End file.
